Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: Going to the Country
Definition: Going to the country means asking for a jury trial. When a defendant or plaintiff wants a jury to decide their case, they say "and of this he puts himself upon the country" or "and this the plaintiff prays may be enquired of by the country" at the end of their pleading. This is also called "go to the country."
Definition: Going to the country refers to the act of requesting a jury trial in legal proceedings.
In the past, a defendant would use the phrase "going to the country" to indicate that they wanted a jury trial. They would end their pleading by saying "and of this he puts himself upon the country." Similarly, a plaintiff would end their pleading by saying "and this the plaintiff prays may be enquired of by the country."
For example, if someone was accused of a crime and they wanted a jury trial, they would say "and of this he puts himself upon the country" at the end of their pleading. This would indicate that they wanted a jury trial to decide their case.
These examples illustrate how "going to the country" was used in legal proceedings to request a jury trial.